The Football Forecast

Barcelona Interested In French International

According to The Hard Tackle, Adrien Rabiot is interesting Ernesto Valverde’s Barcelona, with the young French midfielder stalling over penning a new contract, with his current one running out in the summer of 2019 at French moneybags PSG.

The midfielder made his debut for the French giants back in 2012, when he was just 17, and following a spell on loan at Ligue 1 side Toulouse in 2013 where he made 13 appearances and scored one goal, Rabiot has slowly but surely forced his way into the frame at PSG, in a midfield that has included the likes of David Beckham, Blasé Matuidi and Marco Veratti since the youngster’s emergence onto the big stage.

Last summer, it was thought that Rabiot would have been a factor in Neymar’s move to PSG from Barcelona, however, that move never materialised as a swap and Neymar was quite happy to move to France with Rabiot staying, but it now looks as if Valverde is looking to bring Rabiot to the Camp Nou again, with Ivan Rakitic and Andres Iniesta linked with moves away from the Camp Nou.

Also, with Andre Gomes and Denis Suarez failing to set the world alight at the Camp Nou in recent seasons, Rabiot will be seen as a like-for-like replacement if Rakitic were to leave, with the midfielder’s work-rate and range of passing perhaps seeing him as a long-term solution for Barcelona’s midfield, as their midfield three of Rakitic, Iniesta and Sergio Busquets all in or approaching their 30s.

It will certainly be interesting to see if Rabiot decides to jump ship this summer, from one European powerhouse to another, as the young French international will surely want to win a Champions League medal in his career. But with his contract dispute ongoing, will he be sold on for cash by PSG, or will a very talented individual be let go on a free? Or could he sign a new deal at the Ligue 1 leaders and help PSG dominate on the Champions League stage for years to come?